McKechnie wins QLD Jeep Tour event
BY PGA of Australia | 02 Sep 2012
New South Welshman Leigh McKechnie has come from four shots behind to win the $100,000 Jeep Tour Event at RACV Royal Pines Resort by one shot over South Australian Nick Cullen with Adam Crawford and Matt Griffin tied for third one shot further back.
Reigning Indonesian Open Champion Nick Cullen was looking for his third win at the Royal Pines layout and starting the day at 14 under par, was certainly the favourite with 18 holes to play.
Shooting 65 yesterday though McKechnie who took plenty of confidence into the final round and continued his good form with birdie on his first hole. After parring his next 9 holes, the former NSW Open Champion holed his second shot on the 430m par four 9th hole and when Cullen bogied both the fourth and seventh holes, McKechnie had taken the outright lead.
Meanwhile, emerging from the pack, Crawford and Griffin recorded four round totals of 10 under par and set a score for the leaders to beat.
For McKechnie the win not only sees the 38 year old take home just under $18,000 in prizemoney, he also secures a start in the Jeep Tour Final to be staged from 29th November – 2nd December. After his round, McKechnie talked about the victory.
“This win means more than anyone would imagine. It has been a tough road this year and although I don’t feel like I have been playing badly, I just haven’t been able to put the runs on the board in the bigger events”.
“Not only will this now mean that it will take the pressure off for the remainder of the year, winning in front of such a strong field has proved to myself that I still have what to takes to mix it with Australasia’s best”.
It has been an amazing year for Nick Cullen with a victory on the One Asia Tour as well as participating in his first major at this year’s British Open, and despite not being able to get across the line today, seems to be in a good mind set heading to next week’s High 1 Open.
“I played nicely this week and it shows that these events not only provide a chance for us to bank great prizemoney, it is the perfect preparation for the four round tournaments we will be playing for the rest of the year”.
The Jeep Pro Am Tour heads to The Vines Resort in Western Australia for its next event in early November where the professionals will have one final chance to make it inside the top 60 on the Order of Merit and make it in to the Jeep Tour Final in late November.
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